Rietveld structure refinements of calcium hydroxylapatite containing magnesium

The crystal structures of four hydroxylapatite (HA) samples prepared from solutions in the presence of 10, 15, 25 and 30 Mg-atom-% have been investigated by X-ray powder pattern fitting. The total magnesium content of the solid samples, as determined by chemical analysis, was 4.9, 14.1, 20.4 and 30.6 Mg-atom-%, respectively. Rietveld analysis was performed using the computer program PREFIN implemented with routines which allow the refinements of the average crystallite sizes. Different refinement procedures were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of the amorphous and background profiles on the occupancy factor data. For comparison, magnesium-free hydroxylapatite was refined with the same strategies. The results of the different approaches indicate that the degree of magnesium substitution for calcium in the HA structure can be at most similar to 10 atom-%. Magnesium substitutes calcium preferentially at the 6(h) site. The broadening of the diffraction peaks increases on increasing the total magnesium content in the solid phase, which is always significantly higher than the amount incorporated into the HA structure. The excess is probably located in the amorphous phase and/or on the crystallite surface.